Background

UNDP Philippines’ work as defined in the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2019-2023 is structured

around three outcome areas that are aligned with and contribute to the achievement of the Philippine

Development Plan 2017-2022, the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022 to 2025, and the United Nations – Philippines Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development 2019-2023. The three integrated programme work areas are the following:

• strengthening capacity to plan, manage and deliver quality social and economic services for the

most marginalized and at-risk people.

• supporting the effective transition towards low carbon and climate resilient development; and
• supporting towards addressing the key drivers of conflict and risks to stability.

From UNDP Philippines’ wealth of experience in the above-mentioned programme areas, it has also recognized that it needs to revolutionize the way it works and break from the past. It has become clear that transformational changes are necessary for the Philippines to tackle critical challenges and realize its national development goals and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To support the Philippines in this transformation, UNDP Philippines has identified five inter-related, cross-cutting approaches to underpin its work. These are: focusing on financing and not funding to deliver results, applying innovations to provide novel solutions to old development problems, deepening partnerships to ensure no one is left behind, re-conceptualizing the human rights-based approach, and providing platforms for SDGs integration and acceleration.

UNDP is committed to making gender equality, a basic human right and a necessity for a sustainable world, a reality. Women's empowerment and gender equality are vital to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which envisions a world “of universal respect for human rights and human dignity” in which “every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment have been removed.” 

To effectively mainstream gender equality and achieve gender results across the Country Programme and in its portfolio of projects, UNDP Philippines is engaging a Gender Mainstreaming Specialist to support the CO’s implementation of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy (2022 to 2025) and UNDP Philippines’ Gender Equality Seal Action Plan (2021 to 2023 round).

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance of UNDP Philippines’ Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR), the Individual Consultant – Gender Mainstreaming Specialist - will support the Philippines Country Office in strengthening the integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the programme areas on institutions strengthening, environment and climate change, and peace and stabilization and in the Country Offices’ operations, including those pertaining to human resources development, procurement and finance. S/he will also support more effective alignment of UNDP programming with the dimensions of gender equality and in building institutional mechanisms for gender mainstreaming in the Country Office such as through the Gender Equality Seal and Gender Markers. Finally, s/he will provide capacity building sessions to CO staff that would enable them to elevate and integrate gender equality into all aspects of UNDP’s work and better communicate gender results in its corporate results reporting and to various external audiences.

Specifically, the Gender Specialist will be required to:

2.1 Support the CO in the development of the Gender Equality Strategy

• Following the launch of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2022 to 2025, design and facilitate the process of developing the CO Gender Equality Strategy.
• Conduct necessary stakeholder consultations, including mapping-out and assessing the gaps and strength at the organizational level. These stakeholder consultations will be undertaken with those with CO Units, Project Teams, and Implementing Partners as inputs to the draft CO Gender Equality Strategy. Similarly, consultation to understand the gender situation, particularly to identify gender gaps in the priority programme areas of Philippines (from the six signature solutions)
• Submit and present a draft CO Gender Equality Strategy to the Management Team
• Provide inputs to ensure that gender equality is integrated in the design of the upcoming UNDP Philippines Country Programme Document (CPD) 2024-2029, i.e., providing a brief gender analysis for the CPD narrative

2.2 Support the CO’s participation in the Gender Equality Seal certification process

• Support the implementation of the CO’s Gender Equality Seal Action Plan to ensure standards met in the following seven areas: Management systems, in-house capacities, enabling environment, communications, and knowledge management, programmes, partnerships, and gender equality impact/results, including during the actual Gender Seal Assessment process
• Contribute to the development of CO policies on gender mainstreaming in CO operations and programme/project design and implementation.
• Provide a set of recommendations for the Final recommendations for the roadmap for the CO’s Gender Equality Seal – Gold Certification

2.3 Provide technical support to improve contributions of ongoing and pipeline projects to gender equality and women’s empowerment

• From select Projects’ terminal evaluation reports, identify lessons learned and good practices on gender mainstreaming, and provide recommendations on how gender can be effectively integrated during project design and implementation phases.
• For seven projects (2 for Climate Action, 2 for Institutions and Partnerships, 2 for Peace and Stabilization Programme Teams and 1 for Impact and Advisory Team), assess the status of implementation of Gender Action Plans of select projects, where necessary, and support the development of Gender Action Plans where necessary and absent. This exercise intends to provide recommendations on improving the effectiveness of gender-related interventions, documenting programme/project stories that highlight gender mainstreaming, systematic gathering of gender mainstreaming-related data and evidence as part of monitoring and evaluation.
• Provide advice and support to staff on how to improve reporting on gender in their projects’ quarter and annual progress reports vis-a vis the Gender Action Plan of the Project.
• Recommend areas of collaboration with national government and with other UN agencies on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

2.4 Strengthen gender mainstreaming in Country Office Communications, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Review previous UNDP Results Oriented Annual Reports and provide recommendations on how gender results can more effectively surface in the reports.
• Contribute to gender reporting in the UNDP Results Oriented Annual Report and communications collaterals.
• Contribute to the review of evaluation TORs and products commissioned by the CO to ensure that Gender mainstreaming is achieved in the evaluation design and that gender results surface in the reports

2.5 Facilitate training and knowledge management activities

• Provide mentoring to the CO’s gender focal points and gender focal team.

• Collaboratively working with the CO’s Gender Focal Team, develop and carry-out the activity designs of the learning activities outlined in the CO Gender Learning Action Plan and participate in the conduct of these learning activities
• Conduct training needs assessment, training sessions, and consultations on the Gender Equality Seal certification process and benchmarks
• Support the development of gender-related knowledge products of CO Units and Project Teams

C. Expected Deliverables and timelines

D. Institutional Arrangement

The Gender Specialist will work under the primary supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative. S/he will work in close collaboration with the CO Gender Focal Team and the Results and Quality Team of the Country Office, as well as engage with the Operations,  Programmes and Impact Advisory Teams as and when required.

The Gender Specialist’s deliverables will be reviewed by the Gender Focal Team and the Management Team and approved by the Deputy Resident Representative.

The Consultant is expected to have her/his own equipment, office space, and internet connectivity. UNDP Philippines will not provide a workstation, transportation, or ICT equipment for the consultant. Coordination/meetings shall be done through phone or online communication.

E. Duration of assignment

The contract will be issued for 7 months with an estimated level of effort of 60 days spread over 7

months. An estimated 5 working days are required for UNDP to review outputs, provide comments, and certify acceptance of outputs.

F. Duty station

During the entire duration of the assignment, this consultancy shall be performed remotely and will be a home-based assignment. S/he is expected to organize regular updates meetings with the Resident Representative, the Deputy Resident Representative, have regular coordination meetings with the Gender Focal Team and Results and Quality Team, and participate in Management Team Meetings upon invitation. No travel is required for this assignment.

Financial Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive fee In PHP currency (daily fee X number of person-days, communications, etc.); and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.

Interested applicants to note that personal Medical/Health insurance (to be purchased by the

individual at his/her own expense) is mandatory for the issuance of contracts. Upon award of the

contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration.

In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and the Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the Consultant wish to travel in a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

The Consultant will be paid based on the following tranches:

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN mission, vision, values, and ethical standards
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Promotes UNDP's agenda in meetings

Other Competencies

• Ability to work in close collaboration with a group of national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
• Demonstrates capacity to plan, organize, and execute effectively;
• The initiative, good analytical skills, mature judgment, and ability to work under tight schedule while respecting deadlines achievement, ethics, and honesty;
• Ability to establish effective working relations in a diverse environment
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Builds strong relationships with internal and external clients;
• Demonstrated ability to function in a team environment and to deal with a complex multi-stakeholder environment
• Good ability to use information and communication technologies as tools and resources;

Excellent written communication and presentation/public speaking skills focus on results, ability to interact productively in a teamwork environment.

Required Skills and Experience

The successful Individual Contractor should meet the following minimum qualifications:

1. Master’s Degree in a gender-related major, social science, or other related fields
2. Minimum 10 years of experience working in Gender Mainstreaming in programme and project design and implementation
3. Minimum 10 years of experience in the application of international norms and standards on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in development projects
4. Minimum 7 years of experience in authoring/writing technical documents or information materials on gender equalities, women’s rights, gender mainstreaming, and women’s empowerment
5. Minimum 7 years of experience working with programmes and projects funded by the UN and other similar international organizations

       6. Proficiency in English

Criteria for Selection of Best Offer

The Offers received will be evaluated using a combined scoring method - where the qualifications and

sample work will be weighted 70% and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30%.

For the evaluation of the CV, the selection of the successful consultant will be based on the following

qualifications (with the appropriate obtainable points). Only applications that will obtain a minimum of

49 out of 70 obtainable points will be qualified for the financial evaluation.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

1. Duly accomplished Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the IC that indicates the all-inclusive lumpsum contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided; If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP;
2. Financial Proposal (Annex 2 of Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability)- use UNDP Template
3. Personal CV or P11 Personal History Form, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;  

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the documents mentioned above.

Templates for a) P11 Personal History Form and b)  Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal (Annex 2) are available through the link below. UNDP General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contractors  are also available:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vB63DIM-ogrwNGNyj22jBaQnYP6k7p4f?usp=sharing

Incomplete submission of required documents may result in disqualification.

Please see the deadline of submissions above.

Because of the volume of applications UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.